


Just Like Magic

by orphan_account



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Newt returns to New York, Post-movie fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 10:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8620258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: 1927: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them is published, and Newt upholds his promises to Tina. [on hiatus]





	1. Chapter One

Porpentina Goldstein had not received a letter from Newt Scamander in almost two months.

She wasn't worried about it, she'd tell Queenie when she asked. He's busy with his book, he has more important things to do than send owls across the Atlantic. Doesn't he?

Truth be told, Tina thought about Newt and his letters more than she'd care to admit. Late at night when she couldn't sleep, she'd wonder what Newt was doing. Why he hadn't written. And yes, she'd worry.

It was for this reason that Tina hardly dared believe her eyes when she awoke one morning in August 1927 to find a familiar tawny owl perched in the window of her tiny apartment, a letter folded in its beak. She stared at the bird, silently chastising herself for the speed with which her heart began to beat until she finally sat up, not daring to take her eyes away from the owl. She got out of bed and walked to the window, and couldn't help but smile a little despite herself, as the bird seemed to perk up, hopping down from the window onto her kitchen table.

"G'morning," she said softly to the owl; it flapped its wings as if in response. She filled a saucer of water and set it down next to the bird before taking the letter and walking back to her bed, trying in vain to suppress her smile as she looked at her name printed on the envelope - Tina thought that she'd recognise the now-familiar, scrawly handwriting anywhere. It read

> _Miss Goldstein,_
> 
> _I apologise for not writing to you for some time. I've been terribly busy with the completion of my book; I've tried to finish it as soon as possible, and thought it best to put our correspondence on hold for a short time in order to dedicate myself to the task. I thought perhaps, the thought of not hearing from you until the book was completed might motivate me to finish it sooner. I do hope you haven't thought I'd forgotten about you, Tina._
> 
> _So now the good news - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is finished and about to be published. I've just received the first few copies, and I really would like you to be the first to have one. I haven't forgotten my promise to give you the book in person  - I've booked a passage to New York, leaving tomorrow morning._
> 
> _If all goes according to plan, this letter should arrive a day or so before I do. I do apologise for the short notice - I must be terribly exasperating, I know, I'm sorry - but I hope you'll be there when I arrive in New York. If it's not improper for me to say so, I've missed you terribly, Tina._
> 
> _Yours,  
>  Newton Scamander_

Tina stared at the page long after she'd finished reading. She read the letter again, and again, until she finally registered the meaning of the words. Newt was coming to New York, tomorrow.

 _Tomorrow_.

"Queenie - wake up, Queenie," Tina hissed, practically jumping from her own bed to her sister's, shaking her awake. "Queenie, when's the next ship from England? When does it get here?"

Sleepily, Queenie sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She looked quizzically at Tina for a moment - it was unusual to see her sister so excited. "Tina, what -" she began, but by force of habit, used her powers of Legilimency instead of finishing her question. In Tina's mind, she glanced through snippets of Newt's letter and practically squealed, "Newt wrote to you, he's - he's coming to visit!"

"When's the next ship arriving from England?" Tina repeated, moving back to sit on her own bed.

"Tonight - I think."

" _Tonight_? Not tomorrow? Deliverance Dane, what times's it get here?"

"I'm not sure - we should go find out," Queenie offered happily, before sensing the pang of displeasure in her sister's mind, and she understood - after all, she'd been hearing Tina's thoughts about Newt ever since he'd left her. She corrected herself, "I mean - _you_ should go find out."

Tina nodded, again glancing at the letter in her hand. "Yeah, I - I'll do that," she said. Queenie smiled as she listened to Tina's stream of consciousness - she liked listening to her sister's thoughts about Newt. She was glad that he made Tina happy. Almost absentmindedly, she heard Tina wonder, _what should I wear?_

"Teenie?"

"Yeah?"

"Borrow one of my dresses when you go meet Newt."

Queenie couldn't help but laugh at the exasperated noise which Tina offered in response.


	2. Chapter Two

As it transpired, the next ship from England was due to arrive in the afternoon, instead of during the night. Tina had left home late in the morning and walked around the docks for a while, but became exasperated with her own nervous pacing. To pass the time, and to distract herself, she had visited Jacob Kowalski's bakery, as she often felt she should, even though it made her sad to see the lack of recognition in his features as he smiled pleasantly at her, just another customer in the store. He knew her simply as a regular, as the sister of the nice blonde lady who visited even more often than Tina did - Queenie's way of dealing with the loss which, of course, she felt infinitely more keenly than Tina.

"It's a great day, huh? You got any plans?" he had asked her, handing over her pastries. She told him that a friend was arriving on the boat - the pastries were a present for him, she'd said.

"Family visit?"

"Not family, no. Just a - a friend."

Tina averted her eyes as Jacob smiled knowingly, "Well, miss, I hope your _friend_ likes the pastries."

She sighed, and wished again that Jacob could just remember her _friend,_ remember it all. Still, she thanked him, and told him that she'd say hello to Queenie for him. She saw him smile as she shoved the paper bag of pastries into her handbag.

* * *

Tina went back to the port as soon as it seemed reasonable. As it so happened, she ship had arrived early - her stomach flipped as she saw it in the distance,  just getting ready to dock. She stood, and waited.

As the first passengers filed off the ship, she became suddenly aware of the dress she'd chosen from Queenie's closet; it was plain blue with buttons down the front, not at all extravagant, yet still fancier than her usual black slacks and old shirts. She had put her hair up, forgoing a hat, and wondered if she'd made too much of an effort before silently reprimanding herself for making such a fuss. Still, she had thrown on her old, worn coat without a thought, and she was glad that it made her feel - and, she hoped, appear - more like her normal self. She'd worn the same coat the day she'd said goodbye to Newt, she mused.

More and more passengers alighted from the ship and made their way through customs as Tina waited, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Some time later, not bothering to ignore the leap of her stomach, she saw Newt struggling with his case and broke into a smile. He caught her eye, and began to walk quickly towards her, seeming to forget about customs until he saw the short queue, and stopped in his tracks. Tina laughed, and returned Newt's silly gesture as he awkwardly waved to her from behind the desk. Still, she waited.

When, finally, Newt's documents had been checked and his suitcase examined, he walked quickly towards her. He stopped when he reached her and hesitated for a moment, his mouth open as if to speak, but no words came. Tina saved him the bother, stepping forwards and throwing her arms around him before her brain could tell her not to.

Newt let out a little surprised noise before he closed his arms around her, returning the embrace. She could hear the smile in his voice as he said quietly, "You came."

"Of course I did."

"Thank you."

She stepped back from him, and looked up at the faint blush on his cheeks. His freckles were more striking when he blushed, she noticed. She coughed, averting her eyes for a moment before she said, "I brought you something," and reached into her bag for the pastries from Jacob's bakery. "They're from Jacob Kowalski's," she explained, holding them out for Newt to take. "Doesn't remember any of it, of course. But still, he's doing well. Really well."

Newt's eyes lit up at the mention of Jacob's name. "Jacob got his bakery!" he said. "Oh, that's wonderful - I'm so glad, after everything." He remembered himself then, remembered that he was supposed to take the bag Tina was holding for him. He reached out, quickly adding, "How very kind of you, Miss Goldstein." They both tried not to think about how their fingers brushed as she handed them over.

She shrugged a little. "You're welcome. They're good, I hope you'll like them,"

"I'm sure I will," he replied, slipping the bag into the pocket of his coat - the same blue one he'd worn on his first visit, Tina acknowledged. "Now - I believe I have something to give you, as well," he said, setting down his suitcase and crouching to open it. Right at the top, there lay a beautiful red book which he picked up carefully, and handed to Tina.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," she breathed, taking the book from Newt. She ran her fingers over the gold text on the cover, and opened the book at a random page, finding a beautiful illustration of a Bowtruckle. The book felt heavy in her hands as she flicked through a couple more pages.

"You'll be the very first person to read it," he said proudly. "Aside from me, of course. And the publishers. And-"

"Thank you," she said, looking up and meeting Newt's eyes again. She was so proud of him in that moment. She smiled. He smiled back.

After a pause in which Newt seemed to be thinking rather deeply, he said, "I wonder, Miss Goldstein, if you would -"

"Tina. Call me Tina, please."

"Very well," he stuttered. "Tina, I was wondering if you'd like to go and have something to eat. With me. I haven't eaten all day, and I thought it might - well, I thought it might be nice for us to - to catch up."

She nodded, "I'd like that very much, Newt." She shook her head a little at the look of relief on his face, as if he thought she'd turn him down after everything. "Come on," she offered, turning to walk out into the streets. "I think I know a place you'll like."


	3. Chapter Three

Newt had brought quite a small case with him to New York; he became glad of this fact as he followed Tina Goldstein into a small, busy restaurant a couple of blocks away and, once seated, was able to kick his case under the table and out of the way. As Newt looked around the place of Tina's choosing, he decided that it was pleasant, but a decidedly Muggle establishment. Tina watched him, watched the way his face changed when he was deep in thought. When Newt noticed her looking, he offered,

"I was expecting something a little less _No-Maj_ , as you'd say," he fiddled with the fork on the table in front of him. "It does seem very nice, though."

"The owners of this place live down the block from Queenie and I. They're come from England. I figured they might serve some food you'd like," said Tina. Newt smiled. _How very thoughtful_ , he mused silently.

 Sure enough, the waiter who came to their table then greeted them in a broad English accent, and seemed excited when he heard Newt reply with a similar inflection. He asked enthusiastically about Newt's hometown, where he'd grown up, what brought him to New York.

"I'm from London, but we lived all over the country while I was growing up. I live in London now," Newt said. "I just arrived here today. I'm visiting my -" he turned his gaze excitedly to Tina, but stopped dead when he met her eyes, unsure of where he was going with that sentence. His cheeks coloured as he finished, "Miss Goldstein - Tina. I'm visiting Tina."

The waiter seemed amused, but asked no more questions after taking their orders - fish and chips for both of them - and left them alone. Tina thought that the silence between them should have been awkward, but wasn't. She was content to sit and say nothing, watching Newt fidget absentmindedly with his cutlery. Eventually, though, she asked,

"How are things back in England?"

Newt sighed. "Generally speaking? Well, you know the Grindelwald situation... Strange things are happening, people are scared. But, of course, nothing drastic has happened. It could all be much worse, really - I suppose the same goes for New York?" he said, and Tina nodded quietly. "Personally," he added. "Things are okay. I've just been busy - very busy. But that's over now, I suppose, and now - well, now I'm here, aren't I?"

He smiled then, raising his eyes from the tablecloth for the first time since he started speaking. Tina noticed that a touch of the colour still stained his freckled cheeks and she sighed, "Yeah. Yeah, Newt. You're here."

* * *

After dinner, Tina walked Newt to the small hotel where he planned to stay, just a few blocks from hers and Queenie's apartment. Without a second thought, she had offered to let him stay at their place, but of course Newt had refused; he wouldn't dream of imposing upon them, he told her.

She waited in the small lobby, holding Newt's case for him as he organised a room for himself - she wasn't really listening to his conversation with the desk clerk, but noticed the other man glance towards her and heard Newt stuttering, "Oh, no - no, it's just for one. We're not - just a room for one, please." She smiled absently as she imagined the colour that had surely risen to his cheeks.

He turned back to her then, slipping the key he'd been given into his coat pocket. She held out his suitcase which he took, thanking her for keeping it. They looked at each other for a long moment before Tina cleared her throat,

"So, will I see you tomorrow?" she asked.

Immediately, Newt looked puzzled. He asked, "You're leaving?"

"Um - yeah, I am," Tina replied evenly. "Unless... You wanna go someplace else?"

He shook his head, "No, not at all, it's just - just, I rather assumed you'd come up with me, until I get settled in and whatnot."

Tina, for one, seemed quite amused all of a sudden. "Mr Scamander - you're asking a lady to come to your bedroom late in the evening?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "How very bold of you."

Newt's face quickly became a deep shade of pink as he stammered, "Tina, that's not - that's not at all what I meant, of course. I'd never-"

Tina laughed then, and Newt relaxed a little. "I know, Newt. I know."

"So you'll come up, then?"

She glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. It really _was_ too late for it to be considered decent for her to be in a man's bedroom - even if that man _was_ Newt Scamander. "Maybe not tonight, Newt," she turned back to him. "But I'll come meet you tomorrow morning?"

"Of course," he said gently.

"Nine thirty?"

"Half past nine - yes, good."

"Queenie would love to see you."

"Tell her I'm most excited," he shifted awkwardly, then added, "Thank you for tonight, Tina."

"Not at all," she replied. She stepped forwards then, placing her hand on Newt's arm while making sure there was no one around to see them. Before she could overthink the moment, she stood up on her toes and kissed Newt quickly on the cheek.

"Tomorrow," she whispered, letting go of Newt's arm before she Apparated back to her apartment, leaving Newt standing dumbstruck in the empty hotel lobby.

"Oh, Merlin," he whispered to himself, his hand raising to his cheek where Tina's lips had been a moment ago.

Smiling embarrassingly broadly to himself, he had to give his head a shake before he found himself able to make it up the stairs.

* * *

Queenie was making hot cocoa - two mugs - when Tina found herself in the kitchen of their apartment. The sisters made eye contact and as expected, Tina felt Queenie sift quickly through her thoughts.

Queenie didn't say a word, but she couldn't help but giggle excitedly as she browsed through snippets of Tina's evening. Tina sighed; there was, however, no point in trying to hide the smile on her face as she lifted the cocoa from the table and made her way to bed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited that people are reading this, and so touched that some people seem to be enjoying it! I'm so, so excited to continue with this story.  
> I've been trying to reply to all the comments, which are lovely. Thanks so much for them, they've made my day! If anyone wants to contact me - I have a (RP) blog at goldsteinauror.tumblr.com :)


	4. Chapter Four

At exactly half past nine the following morning, Newt Scamander came down the stairs into the hotel lobby and to his surprise, found Tina already there, reading a newspaper.

Brightly, he said, "Good morning, Miss Goldstein."

Tina gestured at the rain pouring down outside the window. "Not exactly a good morning," she commented, folding away her paper. "I woke up early. Thought I might walk to the bakery before I came here, but I ended up running inside to hide from the rain."

Newt grinned as he assured her that, having lived in England all his life, he was more than used to rainy weather. Not for the first time, Tina wondered what his life in England looked like; she had learned some things from his letters, but still had questions. She wanted to know everything she could but, she thought, his second day in New York was probably not the time for interrogations. Besides, they had other plans for the day.

"Shall we go?" she asked. Although the lobby were empty, the windows were open and the street outside was busy, so she added, "There's an alleyway just around the corner where we can Apparate."

Newt nodded and followed Tina outside where they stood for a moment under the shelter of the covered doorway before glancing at each other, Tina grinning before sprinting off down the street. Newt caught up easily - his awkward, bowlegged gait belied the speed with which he could run - and rounded the corner into the alley just behind Tina. They skidded to a halt and she grabbed his sleeve. The next thing Newt knew, he was standing in the kitchen of a familiar New York apartment.

"Mister Scamander!" he heard a squeal; he barely had time to register the source of the noise before Queenie had flung her arms around his neck in an enthusiastic hug.

"Queenie, I - yes, how - hello," he stuttered, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights, Tina thought as he looked frantically at her over Queenie's shoulder.

"How are you?" she asked excitedly. "I hear you're a real, certified author now, huh?"

Newt shifted his weight awkwardly as he stammered, "Yes, well - my book got published, but I wouldn't - _author_ might be an overstatement."

Queenie simply smiled at him, nodding slightly even though he wasn't speaking. He remembered then that, of course, she was a Legillimens, probably having her own conversation with his thoughts. The thought alarmed him slightly, and he was sure that she registered that too when she shook her head as though trying to clear her mind. "Sorry, Mister Scamander. I'll try my best not to," she said softly.

"Would you like something, Newt? Cocoa, maybe?" Tina asked from behind them, using her wand to levitate three mugs through the air towards her from the cupboard.

He nodded, "Tea would be lovely - if you have any, that is."

"Oh, how very English," Queenie commented. She winked playfully at Tina from behind Newt's back, and Tina ducked her head to hide the little smile she couldn't keep down.

* * *

The three settled around the sister's kitchen table, sipping their hot drinks in comfortable silence for some time before Newt asked,

"Queenie, how is Jacob?" Newt asked. "If I may ask, that is - Tina told me he has his bakery."

Queenie smiled softly, her eyes focussed on mug in her hands. "He's doing well, Mr Scamander, really. He's so happy at the bakery, and it's so popular. I go there all the time... He doesn't remember me, of course. Not really."

"No - no, of course not."

"But still, it's good to see him happy. And he does know me now, in his way. I mean, he's got to know me since I've been at the shop. Knows Tina, too."

Tina smirked. "Sure, as the career-girl sister of the pretty girl who likes his pastries."

Newt looked up and saw Queenie's eyes on him then, and tried very hard not to think about Tina's comment. He raised his mug to take a drink, as if he could conceal his thoughts simply by covering his face, and asked, "So you wouldn't think of restoring his memories, then?"

"That's illegal, Newt, and you know it," Tina scolded.

He simply shrugged. "I rather think a little rule-bending can be healthy - from time to time, of course. Wouldn't you agree?"

Tina's eyes widened - Queenie could see the Auror's moral compass spinning in her head - but the older Goldstein sister simply sighed and slumped in her chair, looking at Newt with a mixture of endearment and sheer annoyance. It was all Queenie could do to stop herself from laughing.

Later, after the trio had spent some time catching up over multiple cups of cocoa - or, in Newt's case, tea - it was revealed that Queenie had received a promotion in the Wand Permit Office. Newt gave her his most sincere congratulations, and she thanked him, though she apologised that it meant she had to leave him; she had to be at MACUSA for most of the afternoon.

"The hours I work now are longer, but it's sure better than making coffee all day!" Queenie told him happily. "And hey, I'm sure Tina can entertain you well enough on her own," she added, feigning an innocent look as Tina raised her eyebrows, pointedly avoiding Newt's gaze.

Tina scowled at the floor, trying very hard to make her thoughts easy for Queenie to hear. She must have heard the embarrassed annoyance in Tina's mind as she giggled, "See you later, Teenie. So good to see you again, Mister Scamander!" before she Apparated away, leaving Tina to shake her head at the spot where her sister had stood a moment before.

Newt smiled gently as Tina sat down opposite him at the table. "You forgot she was a Legillimens, didn't you? I saw it in your face when you remembered - I'm used to seeing it."

Newt nodded. "It's a rather - rather a strange sensation, to know that your thoughts aren't quite your own."

"I'm used to it," Tina shrugged. "I'm hopeless at keeping her out of my head - even if I could, I wouldn't. Queenie and I never had secrets," she mused. Then, taking advantage of the moment, she decided to try asking some of her questions. "You have a brother, don't you, Newt? Are you two very close?"

"Not at all, unfortunately." Newt responded. "We're very different, Theseus and I - he was always outgoing, and well-liked. I always rather annoyed him, I suspect. And then he became a war hero, of course, and - well, you know the rest. I know you heard Graves speak of him when I was last in New York."

"What about your parents, then?"

"My father died many years ago. Oh, Theseus was his favourite," Newt told her. "And my mother... Well, she - she died quite recently, actually."

Without thinking, Tina reached across the table and grasped his hand. He seemed surprised, but didn't pull his hand away. She told him she was sorry: "It's quite alright," he replied. "And I know your parents also- I mean, I know you and your sister have no parents either, Tina."

"I never really knew them. It's always been just me and Queenie."

"Tina, would you ever leave Queenie?" he asked, taking her slightly off guard. "I mean - can you ever see yourself just... Going away? I know it's an odd question, but... Forgive me. I had to ask."

Tina thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, Newt. Really, I don't know."

"I always thought I was quite set in my ways, but - but after our, ah, escapade in New York last year, I began to think about what - why exactly I'd travelled all over the world and yet still kept going back to a place where I had no close family and a job I didn't want to do," he said. "And so after my book was published, I just thought - I thought it might be good for me. To get away for some time. So I came here."

Tina noticed that Newt's grasp of her hand on the table had tightened somewhat. She swallowed the lump she hadn't noticed rising in her throat. "Can I ask you something, Newt?"

"Of course, Tina."

"When are you sailing back to England?"

Newt hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, "I'm... not sure, truthfully. I haven't yet booked a return passage."

A rush of what felt like relief washed over Tina, and she smiled breathlessly. "Good. That's good, Newt."

He looked up from the spot on the sisters' table at which he'd been staring. He looked surprised - shocked even - but Tina saw on his face what she hoped was the same relief she felt. She squeezed his hand. And they both smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!


	5. Chapter Five

The following morning was a Saturday; and just as every other weekend morning, Queenie was sitting at the kitchen table, idly stirring a cup of cocoa as she listened peacefully to the late-morning dreams of her sister, who liked to sleep a little later than she did. The sleeping Tina's train of thoughts on that morning consisted of disjointed memories of Newt's first visit to New York, which blurred together as her subconscious flitted back and forth. Tina hadn't dreamed of Newt since the weeks after he'd left her, Queenie mused, and she happily observed her sister's much-treasured memories in her mind's eye. Her thoughts were, however, disrupted by a small, snowy owl fluttering through the window to deposit a letter on the table in front of her.

The owl flew away before Queenie could open the envelope, but she had time to read the letters printed nearly on the front,

_Newton Scamander;  
Alternatively, Porpentina and Queenie Goldstein, concerning Newton Scamander_

She gently opened the letter and unfolded the paper inside, her brow furrowing as she noticed the stationary was stamped by MACUSA. She didn't notice Tina sitting up in bed until she called out sleepily, "Was that an owl, Queenie?"

"This letter's about Mr Scamander," she said. "Hold on - good gravy, it's from President Picquery."

"Mercy Lewis," Tina muttered. She jumped out of bed and practically ran to Tina's side. She took the letter from her and began to read:

 

> _Mr. Newton Scamander,_
> 
> _I apologise that I'm not aware of your whereabouts in New York; for that reason, I addressed this letter to your friends, the Goldsteins. Actually, I hope they will read this letter before passing it onto you._
> 
> _It has been brought to my attention that you arrived in New York quite recently, and I would like to extent my welcome.  I have also been made aware of the publication of your new book in England, which I'm sure shall arrive in the United States in due course. And as I'm sure you're aware, the publication of an academic work would customarily be enough for a Wizard to be considered an expert in his field. It is for this reason, Mr. Scamander, that I am writing to you;_
> 
> _Our Body for Protection of Magical Species has received many concerned letters in recent weeks about occurrences in the New York subways, which have been affecting our community and that of the No-Majs alike. People are scared, Mr Scamander; due to the fortunate circumstances of your being in New York, I'd very much like you to investigate._
> 
> _If you are willing to assist us in this matter, you may find me at the MACUSA Headquarters; you may bring one or both of your friends to accompany you, as they will have no problem locating me._
> 
> _On a personal note, Mr Scamander, I do hope you hold no hard feelings towards myself or MACUSA after your encounters with us last year._
> 
> _Thank you in advance,_  
>  _Madam President Seraphina Picquery_

Tina read the letter twice before she passed it to Queenie.

"Well," Tina sighed, walking back into her bedroom to get dressed. "I suppose I'd better go get Newt. Be at MACUSA in a half hour, Queenie?"

"You wouldn't rather take him yourself?" she asked. "He'll be more relaxed if it's just you, Teenie. It would be best."

Tina didn't reply. She finished dressing and nodded at Queenie, saying, "See you later, then," before she Apparated away from the bedroom.

Newt had stayed late at the Goldstein's apartment the previous evening. The three of them had eaten dinner together after Queenie had come home from work, and by the time he had Apparated back to the hotel, he had been very tired indeed. For that reason, Tina hadn't made any plans for the morning, instead resolving to do some paperwork at home, but telling Newt to come by her apartment whenever he felt ready and rested. 

The weather had cleared up overnight, which Tina was thankful for as she walked towards Newt's hotel, having Apparated into the nearby alley. She hadn't planned to come for him, and had been preparing herself to go looking for him in his room; however, much to her relief, she found him reading a book on a bench outside the hotel. 

"You're up early, Mister Scamander," she smiled as she sat down at the other end of the bench. He jumped in surprise, but smiled warmly when he recognised the source of the voice.

"Tina!" he said. "Yes, well, I woke up rather early and thought I might do some reading. It seemed like a nice idea to get some fresh air."

Offering a brief explanation, Tina produced Picquery's letter from her handbag and passed it to Newt, who read it quickly. She watched his eyes narrow as he processed the words, and he scratched his head nervously.

"I wouldn't say I'm an expert in my field - I'm not even sure what my field is, truthfully," he stuttered, passing the letter back to Tina.

"Picquery obviously thinks you are," she smiled. "So, shall we go and see her?"

Newt chewed his lip nervously but nodded. He got up from the bench, slipping his book into the pocket of his coat before they set off for MACUSA.

* * *

Walking awkwardly alongside Tina, Newt gazed in awe as he entered the headquarters of the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Although he had been there a year previously, he had forgotten the details of the building. To say it was different than the Ministry of Magic back home in England was an understatement.

He followed Tina without paying much attention, wandering through corridors and riding escalators until finally, she asked if he was okay. He blinked a few times, snapping out of his daydream, and said he was.

"Here we are," she said, and pushed open the door in front of them. And sure enough, there was President Picquery, reading a stack of documents while an enchanted quill scribbled notes beside her. She looked up when they entered.

"Mr Scamander," she greeted. The quill stilled, and settled itself down onto her desk. "Miss Goldstein."

Tina nodded. Newt replied, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Madam President."

"Likewise," countered the President. "As I'm sure Miss Goldstein has informed you, I would like to ask for your help, Mr Scamander."

"Yes, Tina told me. And of course, I will do what I can," he said, shifting awkwardly. "But naturally, I would like to know more about what's actually going on."

The President nodded. "The No-Majs have been hearing hissing in the subways. Maintenance workers are saying that they see eyes in the darkness of the tunnels. The passengers on one train said they heard something knock on the windows, climb on the roof," she told him. "Members of our community have been experiencing these things too, and naturally they assume the worst... I'm sure you can imagine."

"And you have reason to believe a creature is causing these - these disturbances?"

"Some No-Majs found part of a dead beast down there, yes. They believed it was part of a snake, but we believe it was a magical creature."

Newt considered this for a moment. "It sounds like a Runespoor - possibly. I mean, it's a possibility."

President Picquery nodded once, and told him, "I'll take your word for it, Mister Scamander. Would you be able to capture it?"

"Well, I should like to try," he said brightly, clasping his hands behind his back.

Tina had been following the conversation silently, but decided then to ask, "Is it dangerous, Newt?"

"Highly venomous, yes. But perfectly manageable, if you know what you're doing."

"And you do know what you're doing?"

Again, Newt shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Well - I suppose that will become clear soon enough, won't it?"

The President raised her eyebrows, sitting back in her chair. She looked at Tina, and then looked at Newt for a long moment, her expression showing a hint of amusement. "I wish you the best, Mister Scamander," she conceded. Her quill jumped from the desk then, and began to scribble frantically as the President turned her attention back to her work. Newt and Tina looked at her, and then each other, for a moment before they turned and left.

They made their way back through MACUSA in comfortable silence, but once they were outside, Tina stopped to look at Newt for a moment. She crossed her arms as he turned to look at her confusedly.

"Did anyone ever tell you you're crazy?" she asked. Instinctively, he thought she was annoyed with him, but the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth gave her away.

"Oh yes," he assured her. "Completely daft - or so I've been told."

Tina shook her head at him, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Let's worry about it later, ok?" she suggested. "For now, I wanna know - what does an accomplished Magizoologist do for lunch, huh?"

Newt laughed awkwardly. "I'd say - well, whatever his equally qualified Auror counterpart is having, I should think."

"Very well, Mister Scamander."

"Very well, Miss Goldstein."

They walked together, Tina linking her arm companionably through his. "Completely daft," she chuckled, repeating his words fondly as Newt gave her a small, awkward smile.

 _Completely daft,_ she mused silently. _Strange. Odd._

_And completely wonderful._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The temperature dropped below zero (Celcius) where I live, so I wrote this chapter while wrapped in a blanket and drinking many cups of hot coffee.  
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading!  
> I have a (RP) blog at goldsteinauror.tumblr.com if you'd like to contact me :)


	6. Chapter Six

Newt and Tina ended up getting lunch together in a small, No-Maj cafe on the street where Newt was staying. It was small and quiet, and gave them a chance to talk. Tina had glanced quickly at the menu and ordered brisket, and after Newt cast her an interested look, he asked for it too.

"You never had brisket?" she asked. He told her no, and she explained. "Jewish food, a kind of beef; its good. Queenie and I have Jewish ancestry, you know. I remember our mom used to cook brisket when we were kids."

They chatted a little about Tina's ancestry, which Newt found quite interesting. Tina told him that, unfortunately, she didn't know much about her family's origins. Her parents had died young, and everyone who knew about their history was dead too. However, she knew that at least one of her grandparents had been Jewish, and she suspected that her family came from Germany, originally, on account _Goldstein_ being a German name.

Their lunch arrived then, and Newt nodded enthusiastically as he tried the food. "L'Chaim," Tina toasted. "Hebrew. _To life_."

The pair ate in silence for a while, each engrossed in their own thoughts. It was Newt who eventually broke the silence, commenting,

"So - it seems we have a Runespooor in the subway."

Tina nodded. "And you're gonna catch him."

"Well, I'm going to try..." he said. He took a sip of his drink before he said, "Tina, I didn't tell you, but - I brought my case with me to New York. The case which has my creatures. I used Reducio on it - very difficult for an object already under an Undetectable Extension Charm, might I add - and yes, well, it's here."

Tina nodded. She grinned, "I'd been wondering about that case, Mr Scamander. I couldn't imagine you'd come all the way without it," she said. "So you're gonna get this Runespoor inside the case, right? You're not gonna kill it?"

Newt spluttered a little. "Kill it? How could - I could never!" he exclaimed. He collected himself then, his cheeks going slightly red after his outburst. "I'm sorry, Tina. I didn't mean - I know you weren't suggesting -"

"It's okay," she reassured him. "I have one question, though."

"Yes?"

"You'll need help catching a Runespoor, won't you?"

"Well, I think I could manage..." he began, but he stopped himself when he saw Tina's gentle smile. Her eyes looked almost hopeful, and he said softly, "Actually, I think an extra pair of hands would be much appreciated."

* * *

Tina wondered how on earth she'd wound up in her current predicament as she stepped uncertainly through an empty New York subway tunnel late that night. Her arm hurt from holding her wand in front of her to illuminate the tracks and as much as she tried to feign confidence, she felt uneasy.

Newt seemed completely unfazed, ambling steadily in front of her with his own wand illuminating the way. "The thing about Runespoors," he was saying. "Is that they can change colour to suit their own surroundings. So they're very hard to spot."

Tina thought about Newt's case of creatures - still reduced in size, tucked into his coat pocket - and thought that the sooner they got this thing inside it, the better. She wasn't entirely sure whether he was talking to himself or to her, but still, she called out, "They have three heads, don't they?" Truthfully, she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to know, but it felt - for obvious reasons - like an important detail to understand.

"That's right," he replied without a hint of trepidation. "It's the head on the right which you need to watch out for - it's the one with the poisonous."

President Piquery had said that part of the creature had been found in the subway; Newt went on to explain that the other two heads of the Runespoor were known to bite off the one on the right, since it is the critically-minded part of the beast. Tina nodded, trying to ignore the vague nausea she felt at the thought of actually finding a three-headed beast down there in the darkness. She was so lost in her thoughts that she walked into Newt when he stopped dead in front of her. She began to apologise, but he quickly motioned for her to be quiet. He whispered _nox_ as the light from his wand diminished, and Tina followed his lead.

"There," he whispered. "Can you see that light, all the way at the end of the tunnel? That's his eyes, I'd say..."

Tina swallowed thickly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. True enough, she could see a faint light in the distance, and she tried to steady her breathing as Newt began to walk slowly forwards. After a moment, though, she realised that the light was moving - far too fast and in too straight a line for it to belong to a creature.

"Newt?"

"Tina?"

"That's not a Runespoor, Newt, that's - that's a train."

Newt seemed to freeze for a moment before he whipped around, his eyes wild as he met Tina's. "You didn't tell me the trains ran this late!"

"I didn't know!" she almost shouted in panic, looking wildly around. She spotted the entrance to a maintenance shaft a little while back the way they'd come, and frantically grabbed Newt's sleeve as they both began to run. He sprinted, reaching the opening first as he jumped in, reaching out to pull Tina in after him. They looked at each other wildly in the sudden illumination from the train's headlight, and within a moment it was gone, plunging them into darkness as the vehicle thundered past. It was unlike anything Tina had ever heard, and she instinctively jumped forwards, throwing her arms around Newt's waist in panic. His arms flew around her as they both pressed themselves as far into the small space as they could. The first thing Tina registered as the tunnel fell silent was Newt's shallow breathing, startling close to her ear. She jumped backwards.

"Newt, I'm - I'm sorry," she stuttered, glad that he couldn't see the blush which flooded her cheeks.

"It's quite alright," she heard him reply, although he sounded further away. His wand illuminated then, and she saw that he was standing on the tracks, looking very focussed. He asked her if she'd heard something just then. She shook her head. " _Lumos maxima_ ," he whispered, and the light became brighter. Tina stepped out of the maintenance shaft, staring confusedly at Newt. And then she heard it - the loud _hiss_ echoed through the tunnel, seeming to drag out longer than it probably had.

"Mercy _Lewis_ , it never rains but it pours, Newt. Just when you think that -"

Newt cut her off, staring wildly at her. " _Tina_."

She froze, and watched as Newt's gaze fixed on a point behind her. She tried to breathe evenly as she turned slowly, steadily. And then she saw it.

Tina prided herself on being level-headed. She was an Auror, thank you very much, who was more than capable of handling herself in frightening situations. That being said, the wave of fear which washed over her when her eyes fixed on the fangs in the Runespoor's open mouth was all-consuming. When it started to move, she stepped back quickly, her eyes darting back and forth between Newt and each of the creature's heads. Her mind was screaming at her to run, to cry out, but she found herself unable to do anything except stand stock-still.

"Okay - okay, so, um, this is a Runespoor," Newt said as he slowly made his way towards Tina, keeping his eyes locked with the beasts's third head. "I mean, I know that's obvious, but - but I'm just going to keep talking so as to keep him focussed."

Tina let out a shaky breath. "Okay," she said, barely more than a whisper.

"Now, Tina, I'm going to ask you to help me," Newt said. "The first head is the planner, it decides where the Runespoor is going to go next. I need you to walk backwards and make sure that head is focussed on you. The other heads can't make a go at us unless that one tells them to - so it needs to be distracted. Can you do that, Tina?"

Tina nodded, and then realised that he couldn't see her. "Yes," she said, trying to convince herself as well as him. She took a tentative step back, and steadied herself when the left head leaned forwards, fixing its gaze on her movements. "Okay - okay, I got this," she whispered, taking another few steps back.

"Draw your wand - slowly," Newt told her.

She did as she asked, reaching into her coat without breaking eye contact with the beast and raising her wand firmly in front of her. Her stomach leaped as the Runespoor slithered forwards a few inches, but still she tried to focus on Newt's voice in the semi-darkness, telling her to _stay calm, now, keep walking back, that's wonderful, Tina._

"Petrificus Totalus!" Newt exclaimed suddenly, and the Runespoor froze in its place as though it were made of stone. Even though she knew it couldn't harm her now, Tina barely dared to move. "It's alright, Tina," Newt said soothingly, walking towards where she stood.

He put his hand on her arm, still outstretched, and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as she seemed to snap back to reality, lowering her wand. Only then did she realise that she'd been crying, and rubbed fiercely at her eyes.

Newt surprised her then by reaching out and wrapping her in a hug. He said a soft, "Thank you," as Tina breathed deeply, still staring at the enormous creature over Newt's shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, until Tina suddenly started to laugh.

"Are you quite alright?" asked Newt, looking slightly amused despite the concern in his voice.

"Look at that thing," Tina said. She passed a hand through her short hair and shook her head in disbelief. "It's damn huge - and look at it, it's just frozen there, staring at us." she said, and began to laugh again. Newt smiled impishly at her reaction, but proceeded to take out his wand from his coat.

"We better get him sorted out," he told her, and only then did Tina notice the huge gash on the side of the third head - she remembered what Newt had said about the other heads attacking it.

"He's seen better days," she commented as he walked up to the creature and waved his wand around the wound, repeating _Vulnera Sanentur_ as he went. The wound began to heal itself, and the dried blood was removed with a quick incantation of _Tergeo_.

Newt produced his magically shrunken suitcase and placed it on the ground beside the Runespoor. He closed his eyes, concentrating deeply as he cast the reverse charm, and sighed with relief as the case took on its regular dimensions - or at least, as regular dimensions as an object with an Extension Charm was likely to have.

"Here we go," he said then, casting _Reducio_ on the Runespoor, which instantly shrunk to a size small enough to place in Newt's hand. He picked it up by its tail, tapped it with his wand and muttered, "Finite Incantatem." It began to move again, but slowly, seemingly disconcerted from the charm. Carefully, Newt opened the lid of his case and deposited the still-shrunken Runespoor inside. "Be good down there," he said before he closed the lid.

"That was amazing," Tina said. Newt seemed to start, as though he'd forgotten her presence, but he smiled when he raised his eyes to hers.

"Yes, well - all in a day's work," he picked up the case and straightened his tie before suggesting, "I think we'd better get ourselves above ground."

Tina had never been so eager to Apparate in her life.

* * *

They had parted ways outside the subway station, Newt making his way back to the hotel while Tina Apparated into the bedroom of her apartment with a small _crack_. It was late and she was exhausted, and she practically collapsed on the bed; she buried her face in the pillow, but she was still aware of Queenie's presence as she came rushing into the room.

"Teenie!" she gasped, sitting down on her own bed opposite her sister's. She took a moment to rifle through Tina's thoughts. "You've had quite a night."

Tina grumbled, "Tell me about it."

"You're exhausted, Teenie."

"I know, sis."

"Is - is Mr Scamander alright?"

"Of course. He's fine."

Queenie said nothing for a while as Tina sat up, pushing herself off her bed to change into her nightclothes. She continued to flick through snippets of the day Tina had had: Meeting with the President, having dinner in the cafe, walking through the dark subways - in Tina's mind, she saw her sister and Newt cling to one another in the darkness, hiding from the train.

"I gotta tell you something," Queenie said as Tina climbed into bed. Tina made a noncommittal noise in response. "About what Mr Scamander was thinking when he came here yesterday."

"Queenie, Newt's thoughts are his own business. I don't want to -"

"Remember when you called yourself the sister of the pretty girl, just a career-girl?"

Tina sighed and turned her face to the wall. "Yes, Queenie."

"Just then, I heard him thinking - _no, she's not. She's absolutely beautiful_." Queenie told her. "He just kept thinking _she's absolutely wonderful_."

"Oh." was all Tina could manage. "...Oh."

"He thinks you're the most amazing thing, Teenie. But he's scared you don't feel the same way," Queenie continued. Then, hesitantly, she added, "I know you _do_ feel the same way. I haven't brought it up, but - I can see it. I know."

Tina didn't reply. She closed her eyes and lay quite still, her face turned away from Queenie.

"I know you're not asleep, Teen," she whispered. "Just... just, follow your heart. Because _his_ heart is right there. For you. I promise."

Tina didn't move, but Queenie heard her let out a shaky breath. She smiled fondly at her sister before turning away to put on her own pyjamas. Just as she switched off the light and lay down, she heard a single, clear though from Tina, directed at her:

_Thank you, Queenie._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how canon-compliant my Runespoor is. I don't think it can really change colour depending on its surroundings, but I just kind of thought... Sure, let's have a giant, colour-changing snake.
> 
> Also, about the discussion of Tina's background: I was doing research on character names and found out that Goldstein is a German name, and is commonly associated with Jews within Germany. In canon, the sisters are (possibly) of Jewish heritage, so I thought a quick nod to that would be interesting. I'm no expert on Judaism, so I hope I didn't mess up any details. Please, tell me if I did.


	7. Chapter Seven

Tina woke up late the next morning, thankful that her only work commitments for the day were paperwork and reports which she could do at home. She hauled herself out of bed, got dressed, and sat down at the kitchen table to get some of it done. However, she found herself unable to concentrate, and shoved the books away in frustration. She stood up, and was about to make herself something to eat for breakfast when she heard a faint knocking at the door to the apartment.

She walked over to the door and opened it curiously. She broke into a smile, however, when she found Newt standing in the hallway outside.

"Good morning," he said brightly.

"Morning, Mr Scamander," she responded, opening the door further. "Come on in."

He walked into the apartment and stood somewhat awkwardly next to Tina as she let the door shut. She could tell that he had something on his mind by the way he opened his mouth and then closed it again, shifting his weight uncomfortably. She asked him to what she owed the pleasure of his visit.

"I was wondering - I don't know if you're busy, of course, but I was wondering if we might go to Jacob's bakery today," he said. "I'd very much like to see how he's getting on."

Something tightened in her chest as she thought back to what Queenie had said the night before - was he thinking those same things about her right now? Was he looking at her in her hallway and thinking she was beautiful? _Was he.._. She saw his face then, patiently waiting, and she dismissed her thoughts as best she could. "Of course I'll go with you. But," she hesitated for a moment then, and instantly berated herself when she saw the look of concern on Newt's face and added gently, "No, don't worry, it's just - you'll be okay with him not recognising you, right, Newt?"

"Oh - yes, of course, Tina. I hadn't forgotten," he said. "The bakery is nearby, isn't it?"

"Yeah, not far at all," Tina smiled. "Shall we walk there, then?"

"That sounds lovely."

Tina walked to the other side of the apartment to pick up her coat and her hat, waving her wand haphazardly at the books on the table as she went, making sure they were silently _Depulso_ 'd to the cupboard before she picked up her bag and smiled at Newt. He stepped outside and she followed, tapping the door handle and muttering _Colloportus_ before they walked downstairs.

They chatted idly as they walked the streets towards Jacob's bakery. Newt told her that he'd spent some time the previous night, after arriving back at the hotel, writing a new report about Runespoors and their reaction to a Body-Bind Curse. Tina asked him why, and he informed her bashfully that his book seemed to be selling rather well, and that in all probability, a second edition would be on the cards. Her heart swelled with pride as she smiled to herself. She congratulated him just as they arrived at the bakery, and Tina was glad; Newt became too preoccupied with the shop-front to dodge her compliments.

"Here we are," she told him, and pushed open the door. "Good morning, Mr Kowalski," she smiled as he looked up from the counter at the sound of the doorbell.

"Morning, Miss," he smiled back. "What can I get for you today?"

"I'd love some of those raspberry tarts, if you have any," she said, and he nodded happily.

"Comin' right up!"

Newt stepped inside then, and gazed around the shop in awe as he walked towards Tina. He couldn't help but stare at Jacob as he worked behind the counter, placing treats into a bag for them, and she elbowed him gently in the ribs as a reminder to _please not do that._

Jacob returned and gave the bag to Tina as she handed over the No-Maj money. Jacob studied Newt for a moment, looking back and forth between him and Tina until a look of realisation burst onto his face.

"This is your friend, right? The one you bought pastries for the other day, arriving on the ship from somewhere?" he asked enthusiastically.

Tina was surprised he'd remembered. "That would be him," she replied, smiling politely.

"The pastries were very good indeed," Newt said then, and Jacob grinned.

"England, huh?" he asked. "That's an English accent, right?"

Newt said that it was, and Jacob reached across the counter to shake hands. "I ain't never met anyone from England before," he commented happily. Tina felt a pang of sadness at the hurt look which crossed New's face before he smiled graciously and shook the hand which Jacob was holding out to him.

"Should I tell my sister you said hey, Mr Kowalski?" Tina asked, trying to lighten the mood. His featured seemed to soften then, and he replied,

"No need, Miss. I can tell her myself later."

"Later?" Tina asked, and Jacob's face flushed a little as he saw the confused look on her face.

"She didn't tell you, huh?" he said awkwardly, averting his eyes. He couldn't hide his smile, however, when he told her, "Your sister and I... We're, ah, going out tonight. To see a movie and have dinner."

"Oh," Tina breathed. "That's... That's wonderful, Mr Kowalski! I hope you have a great time - I'm sure I'll hear all about it when Tina gets home!"

Newt felt Tina grabbing his arm then, pulling slightly as she said her goodbyes to Jacob, again wishing him a good night and thanking him for the tarts before making her way out of the bakery. Once they were out of sight of the store, she spun round and grinned up at Newt excitedly.

"Oh, _Queenie_!" she said. "Newt, this - I bet this is because you talked to her about him the other night!"

"Are you upset?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'm a little hesitant," she admitted. "But, she's my sister, and she cares about him, and..." Tina thought about how much Queenie really did care for Jacob. And she knew that Jacob was heal-over-heels for her. Helplessly, her thoughts drifted once more to Queenie's words the previous night, and she wondered if Newt, too, felt that way about her... "No, of course I'm not upset. I'm so happy, Newt."

Newt knew that Tina was lost to her thoughts, but he smiled at her half-present expression; when Tina was happy, he found it hard not to share in the sentiment.

"I'd very much like to try one of those tarts," he suggested. "I think, maybe, they'd go quite well with cocoa - perhaps we could go back to your apartment and, ah, have some?

Tina nodded in agreement, her mind still somewhat distant as she thought about her sister and Jacob. But still, she took hold of his arm and Apparated away.

* * *

Tina and Newt spent their morning and early afternoon sitting in the kitchen of her apartment, drinking hot cocoa and eating the whole bag of Jacob's tarts between them.

They chatted about their lives. Tina told him about her work as an Auror at MACUSA, and they talked about Newt's travels after he had left America the previous year. Tina listened intently, savouring every last detail. Newt enjoyed that more than he could express since, all too often, people had no interest in the things he had to say. But Tina was different, he knew.

After he had finished telling one of his favourite stories, an anecdote about a rare, endangered dragon in Burkina Faso, Tina decided to ask him something. Taking a moment to gather herself, she asked him, "How come you came back to New York, Newt - really?"

He shrugged his shoulders a little. "The book was finished. I made a promise to you, Tina. And I always keep my promises."

"I see," she said evenly. "But, Newt... Why haven't you arranged your passage back home yet?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, Newt! No - not at all."

Newt avoided her gaze, ignoring the way his heart beat a little faster as he told her, "I was at a loose end back in England, I suppose. I thought perhaps - I thought I might gain some... Some clarity, perhaps, by coming back here again."

Tina nodded slowly, taking in his words. She stood up then, waving her wand haphazardly at the empty cups of cocoa which levitated from the table and cleaned themselves in midair. As they began to float back to their cupboard, Newt asked her what was wrong. "Something's on your mind, Tina, I - I can tell." She sighed, and stood where she was.

"It's nothing, Newt," she gave him a small smile. "I promise."

After a moment's silence, he stood up too, and walked around the table to her. He asked her again and she turned around. _Now is as good a time as any_ , she thought distantly, deciding that she would say something before she began to over-think as she always did, before she had the chance to convince herself not to.

"It's just, Queenie told me some... Things. She told me about your thoughts, Newt - I asked her not to, I know I have no right to know, but she wanted me to hear it, and... I -I know."

The colour drained from Newt's face then. "Oh," was all he could manage. "...Oh."

"She... She said that you thought I was wonderful, Newt, and beautiful and - any number of other things," she was rambling, she knew, and her face was hot, but she had started now and couldn't bring herself to stop. "I just wanted to know... Is it true? Do you think those things, Newt?"

"Yes," he said simply. "It's true. And I'm terribly sorry that I've overstepped a boundary, or -"

Tina stopped him right in his tracks. "No, I - I think you're fantastic, Mr Scamander. And intelligent, and fascinating, and caring, and - and very handsome, too."

Newt's face flushed scarlet then, both because he was profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of himself as handsome, and because he was taken off guard: The prospect of Tina returning his feelings had simply... Not occurred to him. Tina's face had become a little red too, and she hadn't noticed that she'd been gravitating slowly towards him. Now, however, they were both acutely aware of their proximity to one another. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tina reached out slowly and laced her fingers though his, smiling gently up at him as she felt his hand shake slightly.

"Tina," he breathed. "Tina, you're the most wonderful person I could ever hope to meet. I'm sure Queenie heard me think so, of course. And I don't know how to tell you, but - you're - I think you're quite perfect, Tina. Truly, I do."

"Oh, Newt," she said, reaching up to tuck a strand of his wayward hair away from his face. She was relieved when he leaned into her touch, and she gazed into his eyes for a moment before she whispered, "Newt... Would you like to kiss me?"

He breathed, "More than anything." She nodded in agreement, but found herself frowning at the expression on his face as she leaned closer. She asked him gently if everything was alright.

"I- I think so," he replied shakily.

"Are you nervous?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Don't be," she said softly, stroking along his cheekbone with her thumb. Gently, she placed her other hand against the fabric of his shirt and whispered, startled, "Mercy Lewis... Newt, your heart's _racing_."

Newt gave her one of his lopsided smiles before averting his eyes. "Well, it's just... You see, I've realised that I haven't kissed anyone for - well, a very long time," he told her, unaware of how his sudden shyness made Tina's own heart beat faster. "I'm a little pathetic when it comes to these things, I know, but, well -"

Softly, Tina shushed him before he could make excuses. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. She felt his arms settle around her and absentmindedly realised that he smelled of old books and vanilla and leather and... She smiled, but pushed away the thought for later. For now, she said, "It's not pathetic, Newt. Promise."

With that, she felt Newt's hands move to her shoulders, gently breaking their embrace. Standing before him, she had time to look into his eyes once more before they closed, as he leaned forwards to press his lips to hers. Tina's own eyes closed of their own accord and she moved her arms, wrapping them around his neck. They bumped noses as they broke apart to breathe; Newt grinned, and in any other situation, Tina would have been disgusted with the giggle that escaped her lips. The giggling stopped, however, when Newt began to kiss her again.

When they finally broke apart, Tina pressed her face into to the crook of Newt's neck as he held her close. Again, she registered the same mixture of smells and something else she decided was simply _Newt_ and sighed, smiling contentedly against the fabric of his coat collar.

She murmured, "How was that?"

She stepped back from Newt then, and watched his eyes soften as he saw her face. He looked at her as though she were sacred, and whispered, "It was - it was wonderful, Tina, of course."

"So, not terrible, huh?"

He smiled shyly, shaking his head. "Was it - how long has it been for you? I mean, how long since you've had someone to..."

"Not since I was a teenager at Ilvermorny," she shrugged. "But I think, Mr Scamander - it was definitely worth the wait."

Newt's grin was as wide as she'd ever seen it, and he kissed her again, holding her close, surprising her with a confidence that seemed to come from nowhere. In that moment, neither of them could remember why they'd waited so long to do this. It all seemed so obvious now; everything had fallen into place, _just like magic_ , as the old No-Maj saying went, and truly, neither Tina nor Newt couldn't remember a time when they'd felt quite as happy as they did in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the first real bits of Newt/Tina romance lived up to expectations!


	8. Chapter Eight

Tina was already in bed, curled up with a copy of The Witch's Friend and mug of cocoa when Queenie Apparated into the apartment late that night. She said nothing, but put down the magazine to watch her sister as she took off her coat and shoes; she was grinning from ear to ear, seemingly unaware that Tina was even watching her.

After a few moments, she asked, "How was your date?"

Queenie turned to her and smiled even more broadly - if that was at all possible. "It was wonderful, Teenie - oh, we went to see this No-Maj movie at the theatre downtown which was so sweet, and had then we had dinner and ended up in this little speakeasy - turns out the No-Maj ones are so similar to ours!"

Tina smiled a little; partly at Queenie's guileless interest in No-Maj culture, partly at her sheer giddiness. She quipped, "No house elves, though, right?"

 Queenie smiled fondly at Tina. "That's true," she conceded, walking over to her own bed to sit down. "Oh, it was such a fantastic night, and Jacob is such a gentlemen, I mean, he never even tried to..."

Queenie's commentary slowed and stopped as though she were distracted by something, and Tina stiffened a little as she realised her own thoughts had been wandering; she knew by the way Queenie's eyes were widening that the Legillimens was replaying Tina's own memories of the day's events inside her head. She sighed, "Now, Queenie -"

"Miser Scamander! You and Miser Scamander! Oh Mercy Lewis, you two were -"

Tina slid down in her bed, groaning quietly while Queenie practically squealed. She tried desperately to think of _anything_ except the fact that she'd spent most of her afternoon sitting with Newt. They'd talked a lot, of course, but she had to admit that their mouths had been otherwise occupied for a large proportion of the time. Much like Jacob, he'd been quite the gentleman; even so, his shy yet enthusiastic actions were causing thoughts to race through Tina's mind that she'd really rather not make Queenie privy to.

"It was bound to happen, of course," Queenie gushed. She flapped about excitedly, and when a thought occurred to her, and she added excitedly, "Teenie, we can double-date!"

"We are _not_ double dating."

"Wouldn't it be fun, though? Oh, Jacob would love it!"

Tina's stomach sank a little as she saw how hopelessly infatuated her baby sister was. She wanted to tell Queenie she was being stupid, but she pushed aside her exasperation and tried not to sound unkind as she responded, "You think Jacob should be around three wizards at once, Queen?"

Queenie seemed not to understand for a moment, and then suddenly seemed to deflate a little as her eyes grew sad. She reached up to run her hands through her hair, beautifully styled for her date. Quietly, she conceded, "You're right, Teenie. Of course. He was Obliviated."

Tina pushed herself out of her bed and moved to Queenie's side. She wrapped an arm around her younger sibling, letting Queenie rest her head against her shoulder as Tina muttered that she was sorry. Tina felt a pang of guilt as she thought about Newt, and the fact that she could meet him again tomorrow and that there would never be anything they needed to hide from one another. She figured that Queenie must have sensed her feelings of iniquity as the younger of the two girls shook her head, causing her curls to spill over Tina's shoulder. The two of them sat like that for some time, neither of them feeling the need to say anything; it was enough that they were both there, for one another. Like always.

Queenie smiled then, turning her head to look up at Tina as she tried not to think about Jacob for a moment. "I'm sorry to be a downer. I should be happy for you, Teenie. I _am_ happy. Since your love life is going so well and all. He's a good man, huh, your Mister Scamander?" she giggled as she added, "I never thought you'd like a guy as much as you like him."

"There's to be none of that," Tina warned, though she smiled fondly.

"He thinks you're marvellous, you know."

"Yeah. He told me as much."

Queenie wrapped her own arms around Tina's waist and smiled into her big sister's shoulder. She didn't need to ask if Tina was happy; she could hear the fluttering thoughts which she just knew would make the older Goldstein girl's stomach flip. Yeah, she knew. And she was happy. After everything she'd been through, Tina deserved to be happy. They both did...

"Teenie?"

"Hmm?"

"I wanna unto the Memory Charm on Jacob," Queenie said quietly. She could feel her sister's shoulders hunch as she sighed and began to argue. Queenie interjected, "I know it's illegal, Tina. And I know you're an Auror. But you're my sister, you're all I've got... Except Jacob. This is right. You know it is. And I -I need your help."

"Queenie, please don't do this," Tina groaned. "It's so soon, and you've only been on one date, and - and it's such a _serious_ -"

"What would you do if it was Mister Scamander?" Queenie barely more than whispered, causing Tina to stop dead in her argument. She watched her sister's face, and decided that the answer, written in Tina's gaze, fixed firmly on the floor in front of her, required no powers of Legilimency to read... _I'd do it in a heartbeat. Of course I would._

"Okay, Queenie," Tina murmured. "I... Okay."

Tina sighed in defeat, standing up from Queenie's bed and dragging her hands down her face as she resigned herself to the knowledge that they were, Merlin help them, going to restore Jacob's memory of magic. The Statue of Secrecy was going to be broken - _they_ were going to break it - consequences be damned, and even though she had set her mind to the idea, Tina's stomach lurched... Truthfully, she wouldn't know where to begin with the reversal of Swooping Evil, but she knew someone who more than likely would.

Tiredly, she rubbed her eyes as she told her sister, "You'd better speak to Newt, then. He'll have some ideas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I really quite like this one. Goldstein sisters FTW.


	9. Chapter Nine

Later that night , Newt was alone in his hotel room, lying on his stomach on the bed with a book open in front of him. On the other side of the bed lay an open notebook, a discarded quill, his jacket and his favourite yellow waistcoat, which he'd taken off before he settled down to read.

He was quite comfortable, though somewhat distracted. Newt was a fast reader, usually, but he'd barely made his way through a chapter since he'd settled down with the book currently in his hands. Every couple of pages, his thoughts would drift from the words he was reading to much more appealing thoughts of a certain dark-haired Witch. Embarrassingly, he couldn't help but smile to himself when he thought about how she'd kissed him that afternoon - or how _he'd_ kissed _her_.

He was just about to shake his head to clear away his most recent stream of thoughts when he heard a knock at the door to the hotel room, snapping him quickly back to reality. He scrambled up, pushing aside his book before he made his way to the door - Tina would've admonished him for not reaching for his wand, but his instincts were decidedly less astute than hers: he didn't even wonder who might be outside before he pulled the door open wide.

He was met with Queenie Goldstein, smiling up at him pleasantly from the hallway outside.

His eyebrows knitted in confusion. He didn't know why she'd come, especially late at night. She seemed cheerful though, surely nothing was wrong... Queenie read his thoughts, of course, and told him not to worry, "Tina's fine, that's not why I'm here."

"It's awfully late, Queenie," he replied. "Not that you're not welcome - it's a pleasure, of course - but what on earth..."

Queenie looked as though she was trying to suppress a giggle, and Newt stopped to wonder why. Suddenly he looked down, and realised that he was standing in his woolly socks, shirt untucked from his trousers with the sleeves rolled haphazardly to his elbows, buttons undone at his collar, no waistcoat, and that his hair was probably more of a mess than usually after lying down. Hardly a fit state of dress, he thought uncomfortably.

"Don't worry about it, Newt, it's not like you're naked or anything," Queenie grinned, causing Newt's face to flush. She rolled her eyes and before he had a chance to protest, she walked past him into his hotel room.

Newt sighed and shut the door behind them. He followed her into the room and hurried to clear away his scattered things while she pulled a chair from the desk in the corner, and motioned for him to sit too.

"Mister Scamander, I need to talk to you about something," she told him as he sat uncomfortably stiffly on the edge of the bed. "Something serious. I need your help."

"Is this about..."

"It's about Jacob," she nodded earnestly. "I want to restore his memories - I'm _going_ to. But you're the only one who knows how to go about it."

Newt took a deep breath. "It's not that I'm opposed - you know I'm not," he told her. "But, well - it is illegal."

"Tina already knows. She agreed to it earlier," Queenie said. She continued, ignoring the surprise on Newt's face at this news, "I guess that's why I didn't wait till the morning - I wanted to get someone else in on it before she thinks too hard about it all - she can't go back on her word if you're involved too, right?"

"I suppose so," Newt scratched his head. "S... You need my help restoring Jacob's memories."

"I do."

"Well - I'll do my very best."

Queenie beamed, reaching out to clasp his hands in thanks. Excitedly, she asked, "How on earth will you do it?"

"Well, you're going to do most of the work, I'm afraid," he replied. "The thing about Swooping Evil - It has the most effect on bad memories. Jacob's memories of magic are predominantly good, I assume, so it shouldn't be too hard to retrieve them. The memories aren't gone, they're just - well, they're blocked, I suppose. I reckon if you just... Talk to him. Slowly, talk him through what he needs to remember, and it should come back. Mostly, anyway. "

"Mostly...?"

"Some little anecdotes might have gone astray," Newt admitted. "But for the very minor details - well, I suppose we could try a Fake Memory Charm? But, of course, create the false memories exactly as they happened, as if he never forgot."

Queenie considered this for a moment. "Will you be there, Mister Scamander?" she asked him. "When I talk to him... Will you be there? In the background, I mean, or - oh, I don't know, but I need some help."

"I'll do whatever I can to help, Queenie. For you and for Jacob."

"When?"

Newt shrugged slightly. "As soon as possible, I should think."

"Tomorrow? At his bakery? We can go before he opens for the day, you can hide in the back or something - right?"

He told her, "If that's what you want, then of course," and Queenie nodded again. She finally let go of his hands, and the pair sat in silence for a while. Queenie seemed to be considering all that he'd told her, their plan for the morning - suddenly, she began to grin wildly.

"Jacob's gonna remember everything," she beamed. "He's gonna remember me, for real - he's gonna remember _you_ , Newt!"

Newt smiled awkwardly. "Yes, I suppose he will."

Queenie grinned for a moment more, fiddling with her hands as though unsure what to do with the energy she suddenly felt. She stood up eventually, and Newt did the same. "I should go," she told him. "You were right - I'm sorry for coming here so late, but I couldn't help myself - but it's all worked out! Oh, thanks again, Mister Scamander."

Newt responded pleasantly, walking quickly towards the door to hold it open for her. She stopped him before he could open it, though, telling him she would just Apparate out of his room.  "Oh, of course," he agreed. "Ah - goodnight, Miss Goldstein."

"Night," she responded. She was about to Apparate then, but paused for a moment.

"I hope you had a good day with my sister, Mister Scamander," she tiled her head innocently. "I know _she_ had a great time!" She winked at him, giggling a little, before she disappeared with a quiet _crack_.

She was gone before she saw Newt's face, suddenly a very impressive shade of scarlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the most plot-heavy chapter, but hey, it's kinda cute!
> 
> I updated some previous chapters a little, especially Seven, to fit with what I've planned for the rest of this fic.
> 
> Anyway, I'll be quite busy for the next few days, so I'll say it now - I wish a very, very merry Christmas to you and yours ♥


End file.
